Noteworthy News

(Taken from current news topics)

The August 9, 1997 issue of The Salt Lake Tribune ran an article entitled, “LDS Leaders Need Good Reasons To Lie.” Clay Chandler, a speaker at the recent Sunstone Symposium (Sunstone is a “think-tank” for Mormon and other religious scholars), presented an explanation for how and why the Mormon church leaders announced the end of polygamy in their 1890 Manifesto, yet secretly continued to participate in and endorse the practice of plural marriages until at least 1904. (Mormons believe this Manifesto was a commandment from God, but they also wanted to end anti-polygamy legislation, prevent persecution and hasten Utah statehood.)

“A deception could be justifiable, Chandler said, if the purpose is to help, not harm, people.” Chandler’s proposal of justifiable deception has serious implications about the integrity of Mormonism. Following is a letter to the editor I sent to the SL Tribune about this matter.

License To Lie?

Dear Editors,

According to Clay Chandler, participant in the recent Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City (as reported in the SL Tribune, Saturday, August 9, 1997), all people lie.

He offers us the idea of "justifiable deception" as a possible explanation for why the 1890 Manifest of the LDS Church was announced while polygamy continued to be secretly practiced until 1904. He tells us a deception is justifiable if the purpose is to help, not harm people. But who decides what is helpful, the person telling the lie, or the person believing the lie? If the LDS prophets use "justifiable deception" in the name of their God, then doesn't that make their God a deceiver? Jesus Christ taught in the gospel of John 8:44 that the devil is the father of lies, not God!

One cannot trust any LDS "revelation" if even one of them has been proved to be deceptive. (And, they have!) "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

Sincerely,

/s/ Joe R. Price

Northside church of Christ

Bellingham, WA

N orthside News

Assignments: Sunday, Aug. 17

Announcements: Rick Holt

Opening Prayer: Rick Holt / TBA

Closing Prayer: S Bass / Ed DeWispelaere

Song Leader: TBA / Gary Bass

Scripture: Charles Fair / Walt Humphrey

Lord’s Supper: Haith / Golightly / Morris B.

Bldg. Clean (Aug. 23): Golightly & Wilkins

T HE SPIRIT’S SWORD

“And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17)

The Northside church of Christ

Meeting at the North Bellingham Grange Hall · 5201 Northwest Road · Bellingham, WA

Vol. I, No. 27 August 17, 1997

Young Person, Remember Your Creator

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. 12:1).

Being young in a grown-up world is not easy. I remember, because I was once “young in a grown-up world,” too! Young folks generally think they are facing the most difficult days of all. Usually, because they have not experienced much of life yet, and therefore they cannot see how anything could be worse than “growing up”!

But Solomon tells young people that the difficult days are still ahead. This is not to scare you, but to encourage you to be realistic as you face life. The best way to face your current circumstances and to prepare yourself for life’s uncertainties is to get right with God! Refusal to obey God now, while you are young, sets a pattern of conduct which can be extremely difficult to change as you grow older.

God advises young people to “flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). It is possible for you to say “no” to the temptations of the world which call to you through your friends and peers. Joseph was a teenager when he said “no” to Potiphar’s wife. Daniel and his three friends were young men when they said “no” to the defilement of Babylon. You, too, can remember your Creator by saying “no” to sin, and saying “yes” to godliness (1 Cor. 15:33-34; 1 Pet. 4:1-5).

You can set good examples for those around you. “Let no one despise your youth (look down on your youthfulness), but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). One thing young people want the most is to be respected as mature. But many go about it in the wrong way. To be respected you must show yourself worthy of respect. In a very real sense, respect must be earned. You can do that by living appropriately before God and man.

How do you do this? By being careful to obey God’s word now, while you are young. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (Psa. 119:9). Young people can and should obey God, too. By putting God first in your life, you will gain the respect of others, and especially of God. Those who refuse to respect you because you choose to follow God are not the kinds of friends that will help you get to heaven, are they? Your youth is a wonderful time to start traveling on the road that leads to heaven. Start now. You won’t regret it.

-Joe Price

I LOVE TO TELL (AND HEAR) THE STORY

Whenever I begin to think, "I have already preached that," or "what can I say that has not already been said," I remember a familiar song we sing. "I love to tell the story, For those who know it best. Seem hungering and thirsting To hear it like the rest." And another song often rings in my ear, "Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that every was heard." I remember that the story of Jesus is timeless and timely. The gospel never grows irrelevant (Heb. 4:12). All of it is needed by us all, and those who know the story the best will never grow tired of hearing it. We need to know and live every part of that grand old story of the cross of Jesus and the love of God. We need to drink deeply from the well of truth which springs forth from God's inspired scrip­tures.

Gospel preachers must never become apprehensive of preaching what needs to be preached -- regardless of how often they have already preached it. The apostle Paul set the example when he said, "To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome (grievous, KJV), but for you it is safe" (Phil. 3:1). Peter knew the benefit of repeating truth which was already known: "Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you" (2 Pet. 1:12). The constant warnings and remind­ers of the gospel protect us from sin and exhort us to new heights of faithful­ness (Col. 1:9-11).

Truth is not new. Truly, "If it is the truth, it is not new, and if it is new, it is not the truth." Preachers need to be careful not to grow weary of preaching the simple gospel message of salvation in Christ! We should not look for "some new thing" to proclaim (Acts 17:21). By this exhortation we do not mean to dismiss personal study and growth in Bible knowl­edge. Rather, we intend to warn against preaching any message which has more to do with human wisdom than the divine will (1 Cor. 1:21-25; 2:1-5). My fellow preacher, leave the financial seminars to the economic advisers, the pep rallies to the high school football team, and the psychologi­cal counseling sessions to the trained professionals. Our divine edict is to "preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2). The message we proclaim must be anchored in divine truth. We must appeal to mankind to submit to God's will by obeying the gospel of Christ. We must preach the gospel -- the wisdom of God! Our eternal salva­tion and that of our audience depends upon proclaiming and obeying the gospel (1 Tim. 4:16; 1 Cor. 9:24-27). And, it ought to go without saying that every Christian should demand gospel preaching from preach­ers (2 Tim. 4:3-5)!

However, just as some preachers have become tired of preaching the "old, old story," some brethren also tire of hearing it. Has the story of God's love, mercy and grace become boring to you? Is the grand old story of Jesus and the truth He has re­vealed for us "outdated" in your way of thinking? Well, whenever we start longing to hear some­thing new (different) we had better be careful -- our ears are starting to itch (2 Tim. 4:3-4)! Whenever we start to complain about hearing God's truth - on any subject - we are danger­ous­ly close to compromise with sin and error. We do not advocate "hobby riding," but we must always advocate the defense of truth (Jude 3). You see, some today express the notion that they are tired of hearing about such things as marriage, divorce and remar­riage, fellowship, the work and organization of the church, Bible patterns, etc. Likewise, I suspect that some brethren in years past also grew weary of hearing such topics as instrumental music in worship, central oversight of church­es versus congregational autonomy, etc. Even further back into history, we may rightfully suggest that some brethren tired of hearing about justi­fication by faith in Christ and not the Law of Moses (Gal. 2:16-21; 5:1-4), immoral­ity (1 Cor. 6:12-20), and the deity of Christ (1 Jn. 2:18-23; 4:1-3). Did such attitudes of weariness cause the apostles of Christ to "back off" or "tone down" their defense and proclamation of the truth? God forbid (Gal. 2:5; Phil. 1:16; 2 Tim. 4:2; Jude 3)! How then, can we have any less love for hearing, obeying and defending the truth today? If we do not maintain­ a constant love for the truth, we will inevitably believe a lie and perish in sin (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Our spiritual perception must be revital­ized and restored through vigilant Bible study and obedience to all of God's revealed will (2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 2:6-7; Heb. 5:8-9).

Remember, truth never grows tiresome to truth-lovers. How about you? -Joe Price

PRACTICING LOVE TOWARD THE WEAK Notes

“Without strength, feeble, frail, hesitating.”

I. WEAK IN CONSCIENCE (Scruples) - 1 Cor. 8:7-9, 10-12;

9:22.

A. This Person Is Without Full Assurance Toward A Matter Which

In God’s Sight Is Morally Indifferent--Rom. 14:1-2,5,14,20,23.

B. PRACTICING LOVE: Don’t Cause Them To Stumble / Bear The Infirmities Of The Weak - Rom. 15:1-7.

II. SPIRITUALLY WEAK - 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Thess. 5:14.

A. These Have Fallen Into Sin Due To Their Weaknesses -

cf. Gal. 6:1-2; Jas. 5:19-20.

B. PRACTICING LOVE: Strengthen And Restore Them.

III. SPIRITUALLY IMMATURE.

A. Described As Babes Who Need To Grow - Heb. 5:12-6:3.

B. PRACTICING LOVE: Help Such Grow To Maturity - Eph.

4:15-16.

IV. GUIDELINES ON PRACTICING LOVE TOWARD THE WEAK

[Dealing With Problems Which Arise With Weak Brethren].

A. Examine Your Heart Toward The Weak Person--Gal. 6:1;

1 Cor. 8.

B. Assess The Need Of The Hour - Acts 20:20.

C. Support The Weak - 1 Thess. 5:14.

THE PROVING OF FAITH (James 1)

The practical nature of faith is the emphasis of the book

of James.

I. Faith endures trials - 1:1-12.

A. Joyful In Trials - 1:2 (1 Pet. 1:6-7).

B. Testing Of Faith Produces Strength & Maturity-1:3-4

(Rom. 5:3-5).

C. Faith Trusts In God To Give What Is Needed To Endure-1:5-8

D. Faith Rejoices In Weakness - 1:9-11.

II. Faith understands temptation - 1:13-18.

A. Faith Reacts Properly When Tempted - 1:13-18.

III. Faith produces doers - 1:19-27

A. Faith Works The Righteousness Of God - 1:19-20

B. Puts Away Sin / Implants The Word Of God - 1:21

C. Faith Conforms To God’s Word (will) - 1:22-25.

D. Faith Practices Pure Religion - 1:26-27.

Concl. - Will your faith stand when tested? (Prov. 24:10)